Power converters, such as voltage regulators, are used in a variety of electronic circuits and systems. For instance, integrated circuit (IC) applications may require conversion of a direct current (DC) input to a lower, or higher, DC output. As an example, a buck converter may be implemented as a voltage regulator to convert a higher voltage DC input to a lower voltage DC output for use in low voltage applications. Semiconductor packaging solutions for power converters may be configured to accommodate power transistors and an output inductor.
In conventional semiconductor packages, the output inductor utilized in the power converter is placed side by side with the power transistors, and mounted over a top surface of a printed circuit board or a substrate. The lateral placement of the output inductor with the other components increases the overall size of the semiconductor package. Also, in the conventional semiconductor packages, the output inductor is a pre-formed inductor with a relatively large form factor and poor thermal performance. Integrating the pre-formed inductor with the power transistors can further increase the overall form factor of the semiconductor package and degrade the thermal performance.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a semiconductor package having an integrated output inductor on a printed circuit board, with reduced form factor and enhanced thermal dissipation.